BLIZZARD BIKE CLUB CELEBRATES 25TH YEAR

The Blizzard Bike Club celebrated it?s 25th year with a number of achievements including a repeat Challenge Cup win, five Penticton Ironman finishers, three Provincial Medals, three Seniors Games Medals, a finisher in the 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris, a rider in the Pro-Am Mt. Hood Classic and National Road Race and Superweek races.

Bob ?The Animal? Andrews won the first ?unofficial? Kyoto Cup. It was a road race held in January, normally a non-cycling month!

The Blizzard year kicked off their official 90 event race schedule in February, with Roger St. Jean edging out Gary Hilderman and Matt Sparling to win the first ever Northern BC Games Cyclo cross. Riders endured -20 degree temperatures for the 30 minute event.

Pat Ferris won a particularly cold version of the Roubaix Cup. Geoff MacDonald won the seven race Spring Stage Race with Barb Polehoykie taking the Women?s and Colter Young the Under 19.

Colter Young brought back a gold medal in the Alberta Youth Championships, in July, from Calgary. Terry Stone brought home three Seniors Games Medals from Nanaimo.

Stephen Ferris had a busy season on the Pro-Am circuit, competing in the Mt. Hood Classic, Gastown, Superweek, Nationals and the USGP #6 cyclo cross race.

In August, five Blizzards did the Penticton Ironman in 2007. Darren Guliov, Irvin Tang, Kathryn Fairweather and the husband and wife team of Ann and Brian Hurst conquered Penticton and lived to tell the tale.

Win Kok did another edition of the tough 1200 km. ?Paris-Brest-Paris? Randonneur, in August. He finished the event in 79 hours. 5200 riders from 40 countries do this very long endurance event.

The Blizzards were repeat winners of the Challenge Cup with 780 points to GP?s 412 and Dawson Creek?s 188. Stephen Ferris won three of the Challenge Cup races and Robin Baillie two.

Club cyclo-cross riders did very well with Jolea Bilodeau and Barb Polehoykie both coming back from the BC Championships with silver medals and Pat Ferris getting third in Masters ?C?. Five Blizzards competed in the National Cyclo cross Championships in Kamloops. At the top class UCI C2 races in Edmonton, Robin Baillie brought home a bronze and Barb Polehoykie winning the time trial event. Jolea Bilodeau ended the season ranked 86th in the World and Stephen Ferris ranked 145th. Stephen Ferris did the final USGP race, in Portland, USA.